Poached egg (or in Italian, egg in shirt) is a soft and creamy egg with a liquid yolk that oozes out as soon as it is cut with a knife. The ideal is to place the poached egg on top of a dish so that it releases its creaminess over the underlying ingredients, possibly accompanied by a tasty sauce.
Once you’ve prepared a good poached egg, don’t forget to use it in these recipes
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 148.75 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 12.71 (g) of which sugars 0.87 (g)
- Proteins 9.64 (g)
- Fat 6.10 (g) of which saturated 2.38 (g)of which unsaturated 3.43 (g)
- Fibers 0.80 (g)
- Sodium 220.72 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 2 people
- 2 eggs (fresh and of high quality)
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 quarts water
- 2 slices bread
Tools
- 1 Griddle
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Pot (with 3 qt capacity)
Method
The poached egg has gained a lot of success in recent years thanks to various TV shows, here’s how to make it perfectly!
Place a large pot, at least 3 or 4 quarts capacity, on high heat. When the water starts to boil, lower the heat and let it simmer. To improve the yolk’s cooking, you can add a few drops of vinegar; it improves the egg white’s cooking but changes the flavor of your egg.
When the water is ready, use a spoon to create a vortex in which you will pour the egg. The water should spin quickly on itself to envelop and roll the egg white around itself during cooking.
If the pot is tall, you can create depth in the vortex and have more time before the water stops. As you become more experienced, you can work with less water and lower pots.
It takes just 3-4 minutes to fully cook the egg white while leaving the yolk creamy. To stop the egg from cooking while keeping the yolk creamy, immerse the egg in cold water for a few minutes until it’s cold.
Gently drain the poached egg and let it dry on some absorbent paper.
You can use it cold or reheated, but be careful not to raise the temperature too much or the creamy center will dry out.
Once cooked, the poached egg can be kept aside for 1 or 2 days until ready to use.
Your poached egg is ready!
Plating Tips:
Place the poached egg on top and pierce it with a knife so that the creamy yolk oozes out. For a better result, leave the yolk’s dripping effect to your guests.
Which Wine to Pair:
I suggest pairing this dish with a white wine such as Garda Tocai Doc, characterized by an intense flavor with hints of licorice and cinnamon. Ideally, it should be a wine aged for about 3 years.
